Why a Review on Psychiatric Medications and DDIs?
There are two basic reasons for this review about psychiatric medications and DDIs. First, many patients are on psychiatric medications and the percentage has been continuously increasing over the past 2 decades. Second, patients on psychiatric medications have an increased likelihood of being on more complex medication regimens compared to those not on psychiatric medications and, hence, are at increased risk of experiencing a DDI. In 2005, antidepressants surpassed antihypertensives to become the most commonly prescribed class of medications such that one out of 10 Americans >6 years of age was on an antidepressant.4 That translates into 27 million Americans in 2005. Of these, 38% were on at least one other psychotropic: 24% on an anxiolytic or hypnotic, 9% on an antipsychotic, 6% on a mood stabilizer, and 6% on a stimulant, with a number of these patients being on ≥2 psychotropics.4 There is every indication that the use of psychiatric medication has continued to increase since 2005
